Nissan Titan Warrior pickup goes bold at Detroit auto show

Nissan designers gave the Titan pickup truck a tough-guy overhaul with the introduction of the Titan Warrior concept pickup at the Detroit auto show.

By Nissan's own admission, the Titan Warrior's exuberant design goes to "new extremes with unapologetic, aggressive, athletic styling features that declare the concept’s offroad adventure intent and Nissan’s optimism for the truck market," the company said in a statement.

The bold design statement — an evolution of the Titan XD revealed a year ago — lands well outside mainstream styling, but that's the point. Nissan is betting that truck fans who treasure power and strength will embrace the Warrior.

Design touches include what Nissan described as a "custom matte-gunmetal paint" and orange-and-black highlights on the fascia.

It's 3 inches taller and 6 inches wider than the Titan XD, though its wheelbase is the same size. Its wheels are fitted with aluminum surfaces and dark matte finish.

The vehicle gets a 5-liter, 8-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine.

"While Nissan still has many roads and trails to travel as we continue to launch additional production versions of our bold new Titan, this new Titan Warrior Concept gives an important signal to American truck enthusiasts that our vision for exploring new boundaries remains strong," said José Muñoz, executive vice president of Nissan Motor and chairman of Nissan North America, in a statement. "Truck lovers are never static and neither is Titan."

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.